Display device



June 9, 1925. 1,541,517

' F. x. LIST L DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug- 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOH I Eda/k x wi,

A770 EY June 9,1925. 1,541,517 F. X. LIST DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1924 F 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOI? A TTOHNEY Patented June 9;. 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE. Q

FRANK X. LIST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T NATIONAL CARD MOUNTING COI- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Application filed August 22, 1924. Serial No. 738,484.

T 0 all to 120m 25 may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK X. LIST, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York,

5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to display devices and has for one of its objects to provide a device of novel form and construction of the collapsible or foldable type, which may be advantageously used for the attractive arrangement of merchandise in a window or counter display.

in the provision of a foldable or collapsible display structure which. when set up, presents a terraced support having a plurality of horizontal steps or shelves at different vertical heights upon which the goods or merchandise may be attractively arrayed.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a back panel, said terraced structure and the panel having cooperating means whereby said structure is braced and supported against collapse while said panel is sustained in a vertical position.

In another embodiment of the invention, I propose to provide the foldabl'e or collapsible display structure with supporting means permanently fixed thereto and foldable with the parts of said structure when the latter. is collapsed.

'ith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved display device and. in the form, construction and relative arrangement of it's several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated several simple and practical embodiments of my present improvements, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: V T

Figure 1 is a front perspective view showing one embodiment of my improved display device;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view thereof;

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of .More particularly. the prominent characteristic of my present improvements resides the foldable terraced structure with the rear display panel detached therefrom;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1';

Figure 5 is a top plan view;

Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the terraced structure shown in Figure 3, when folded;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the folded structure;

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 88 of Figure 6; i

Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the device;

Figure 10 is a rear elevation thereof;

Figure 11 is a vertical section taken on the line 1111 of Figure 10 Figure 12 is a rear elevation of the device when folded;

Figure 13 is a vertical section taken on the line 1313 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a horizontal section taken on the line 1414 of Figure 12; and

Figure 15 is an enlarged fragmentary per- 1 spective'view showing the parts of the dis play structure at one of the diagonal. cor ners thereof partly folded.

Referring first to Figures '1 to 8 of the drawings in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my p'resentimprovements, the mainor body portion of. the dis: play device consists of a foldable or collapsible structure which includes a front section 5 and two side sections 6. These sections of the "display structure are cut from sheets of cardboard of suitable thickness and the blank from which the front section 5' is produced is scored along spaced parallel lines as at 7, whereby the parts between these score lines may fold relative to each other so as to provide, when the device is set up in display position, a plurality of vertical walls 8 arranged in offset or stag gered relation to each other and at different vertical heights, the upper edge of each vertical wall 8 being hingedly connected with the lower edge of the next wall 8 above it by the horizontal shelf 9. It will be noted that the vertical walls 8' successively diminish in length from the lower to the uppermost wall and the several horizontal shelves 9 therefore correspondingly vary in length. The end edges of the shelves 9, with the exception of the shortest shelf connected to the uppermost vertical wall 8 have their end edges convexly cut or rounded as shown at 10, the purpose of which will presently appear. The uppermost or shortest horizontal shelf 9 adjacent to the free edge thereof is longitudinally scored as at 11 to provide a bendable flap 12.

Each of the side sections 6 of the device are of substantially the same general construction, said sections being scored along parallel lines 13 to provide the series of vertical walls 14 and horizontal shelves 15. However, the several foldable parts of these side sections at one end thereof all terminate in a common vertical plane, the walls 14 at their other ends terminating in different vertical planes, or in other words, said walls successively decrease in length from the lower to the uppermost wall. Each wall 14 at the latter end thereof is provided with a flap 16 extending inwardly from said Wall and is permanently secured by a suitable adhesive to the inner face of the corresponding vertical wall 8 of the front section 5 of the.

' desired ornamental outline form and is also stamped or cut from a cardboardsheet. This panel is provided at vertically and horizontally spaced points with a plurality of vertically extending slots 19 therein adaptedto receive bayonet lugs 20 on the intermediate and uppermost vertical walls 14 of the side sections at the rear ends thereof. The lowermost vertical walls 14: are provided with lugs or extensions 21 at their ends for engagement in vertical slots 22 cut in the lower edge of the panel 18. This panel 18 may bear upon its face any appropriate printed advertising relating to the goods or merchandise displayed.

From the above description, the several features of this embodiment of the invention will be readily understood' When the device is oollapsed, as shown in Figure 6, the several hingedly connected parts of the front section 5 and the side sections 6 are extended so that such parts of each section when not in use. In order to use the device for the purpose of displaying merchandise in windows or upon counters, the two side sections 6 are moved outwardly to positions at right angles to the front section and at the same time a slight downward pressure is applied upon the upper ends of said sections so that the several vertical walls and shelves of said sections will hingedly move with respect to each other and assume the relative positions shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, thereby providing a terraced article supporting or display structure having a series of vertically spaced horizontal shelves laterally offset with respect to each other and connected by the vertical walls 8 and 14. The convex end portions 10 of the shelves 9 of the front section engaging upon the upper surface of the shelves 15 with the side sections act as stops to limit this relative movement of the several parts to set-up position and thus obviate excessive bending at the hinges or score lines 7 and 13 which would weaken the connection between the several parts of the structure.

After th main portion of the display structure has been set up as described, the panel 18 is arranged at the rear side thereof and the bayonet lugs 20 engaged through the slots 19 and the lugs 21 in the slots 22 of said panel. Thus it will be seen that this panel serves to rigidly. lock and sustain the several relatively foldable parts in set-up position while the panel is maintained in a vertical position in close contact against the rear edgesof the parts of said foldable structure. The longitudinal flap 12 on the free edge of the upper horizontal shelf 9 of the front section is folded downwardly against the front face of the panel 18. The goods or articles to be displayed ma then be attractively arrayed upon the several horizontal shelves 9 and 15 of the terraced display structure.

In Figures 9 to 11 of the drawings l have shown a slightly modified construction wherein instead of providing a separate rear panel for supporting the display structure, such supporting means is permanently fixed to the parts of the strut-ture and is foldable therewith. In this instance, the front and side sections 5' and 6 respectively, are of the same construction as above described, but the uppermost front vertical wall 8 is provided with an ornamental extension or display panel 23 hingedly connected with the upper edge thereof and the uppermost vertical walls of the side sections 6' have obliquely inclined front edges :24 upon which said display panel 23 is supported in an obliquely inclined position relative to the upper vertical panel of the front section. This display .panel 23 may be provided with an opening shown at 25 to receive an article tobe displayed.

The supporting means for the foldable or I and shaped and scored to provide, when the devic is set up, the two vertical legs 26 and '27 respectively, positioned in planes at right angles to each other and a'horizontal leg 28 and 29 respectively, at the-lower end of each of said vertical legs, said horizontal legs extending in directions at right angles to each other. The upper end of the vertical leg 26 is permanently fixed by a suitable adhesive to the rear sid of the upper vertical wall of the front section 5', while the upper end of the leg 27 is similarly fixed to the upper vertical wall of one of the side sections 6. The horizontal leg 28 terminates in a hinged flap 30 secured to the inner face of the lower vertical wall of the front section, while the horizontal leg 29 terminates in a similarflap 31 secured to the in-- ner face of the lower vertical wall of one of the side sections: A. tongue 32 is cut from the vertical leg 26 and forwardly extended and secured at its end to the underside of the lower horizontal shelf of the front section while a similar tongue 33 is cut from the leg 27 and secured at its end' to the lower horizontal shelf of one of the side sections. When the structure is set up in display position, the horizontal legs 28 and 29 of the two supportin members rest upon the counter, window oor, shelf or other supporting base, and in conjunction with the vertical legs 26 and 27 and the tongues 32 and 33, serve to rigidly sustain the several parts of the structure in their proper relative positions and support the same against collapse under the weight of the several articles arranged upon said shelves.

When the device is collapsed, and the two side sections 6 are folded inwardly upon the rear side of the section 5', the legs 26, 28 and27, 29 of each of the supporting elements are extended into a common plane and said legs 27 and 29 are folded inwardly with the side sections upon the legs 26 and 28, while the tongues 32 and 33 fold into the slots of the supportv from which they were projected, it being understood that each of these tongues has a hinge connection with the upper end edge of the slot in'the support. It will thus be seen that in this case, all parts of the display device are permanently connected with each other so that the device can. be very easily and quickly set up in display position or collapsed so i that the supporting elements will be compactly folded between the side section 6 and the front section 5' of the device, as illustrated in Figure 12 of the drawings.

In each form of my invention as above descfibed, the hinging or folding relative movement of the several vertical walls and shelves of the front and side sections takes place wlthout blndlng or subjecting the hlnge connections to excesslvestrain owing to the fact that the shelves of said front and side sections do not abut or have edge to edge contact with each other at the diagonal corners of the structure. Thus, as indicated in Figure 15 of the drawings, in the relative folding movement of the parts, the straight oblique front end edges of the horizontal shelves of the side sections 6 are opposed to the under surfaces of the horizontal shelves of the front section 5 and may move freely without excessive frictional or binding contact with said front section. At the same time, as above noted, the end parts 10 of the shelves 9 of the front section subserve the important function of preventingtoo great a relative hinging movement of the vertical walls and horizontal shelves when the structure is arranged in its set-up position, and also transmit a portion of the weight of the articles arranged upon the longer frontshelves 9 to the shorter side shelves 15 and hence tothe rear panel 18 or to the supporting elements for the foldable structure.

From the foregoing description, the conthe supporting elements which are per-' inanently fixed to the collapsible strncture.

Therefore, it is to be understood that while I have disclosed certain examples of my invention which I have found to be very satisfactory in practical use, the device might also be exemplified in various other alternative constructions, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate details in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: 1 4 v 1. A display device comprising a col lapsible structure consisting of front and side sections, each scored along parallel lines to provide hingedly connected parts movable from a position in a common plane to positions in angular relation to each other, and spaced parts of said side sections being hingedly connected. at one of their ends to relatively opposite ends of the correspondingly spaced parts ofsaid front section," whereby said side sections may be folded inwardly upon one side of said front section when the structure is collapsed, in which position the connected parts of each section will lie in a plane again.

A display device comprising a collapsible structure consisting of front and side sections each scored along parallel lines to provide. when the structure is set up in display position. a series of vertical walls in off-set staggered relation connected with each other by a series of horizontal shelves, means hingedly connecting the vertical walls of said side sections to the relatively opposite ends of the vertical walls of said front section whereby said side sections may b folded inwardly upon one side of said front section when said structure is collapsed. and means for sustaining said structure in set-up position with the vertical walls and shelves of said side sections extending in directions substantially at right angles with respect to the vertical walls and shelves of said front section.

3. A display device comprising a collapsible structure consisting of front an l side sections each scored along spaced parallel lines, to provide. when the structure is set up in display position. a series of vertical walls in off-set staggered relation connected with each other by a series of horizontal shelves, the horizontal shelves of the front section at the ends thereof overlapping the horizontal shelves of said side sections to limit relative movement of said walls and shelves to set-up position, and the vertical walls of said side sections being hingedly connected to the relatively opposite ends of the vertical walls of said front section whereby said side sections may be folded 1nwardly upon one side of said front section when the structure is collapsed.

4. A. display device comprising a collapsible structure consisting of front and side sections each scored along spaced parallel lines, to provide, when the structure is set up in display position, a series of vertical walls in off-set staggered relation connected with each other by a series of horizontal shelves, the horizontal shelves of the front section at the ends thereof overlapping the horizontal shelves of said side sections to limit relative movement of said walls and shelves to set-up position, the vertical walls of said side sections being hingedly connected to the relatively opposite ends of the vertical walls of said front section whereby said side sections may be folded inwardly upon one side of said front sectionwhen the structure is collapsed, and means for sustaining said structure in set-up position with the vertical walls and shelves of said side sections extending in directions substantially at right angles with respect to the vertical walls and shelves of said front section.

5. A collapsible display device comprising hingedly connected front and side sections,\

each consisting of a plurality of hingedly connected parts movable from a position in a common plane to positions in angular relation to each other whereby said device, when set-up in display position, forms a semi-parallelogrammatic terraced structure, and said side sections, when the relatively movable parts of said sections are positioned in a common plane, being folded inwardly to lie in parallel relation to said front section upon one side thereof.

6. A collapsible display device comprising hingedly connected front and side sections, each consisting of a plurality of hingedly connected parts movable from a position in a common plane to positions in angular relation to each other whereby said device, when set up in display position, forms a semi-parallelogrammatic terraced structure, and said side sections, when the relatively movable parts of said sections are positioned in a common plane, being foldable inwardly to lie in parallel relation to said front section upon one side thereof, and means for sustaining the device in setup position with the relatively movable parts of said side sections extending in directions at approximately right angles from the corresponding parts of said front section.

7. A collapsible display device comprising hingedly connected front and side sections, each consisting of a plurality of hingedly connected parts movable from a position in a common plane to positions in angular relation to each other whereby said device, when set up in display position, forms a semi-parallelogrammatic terraced structure, and said side sections, when the relatively movable parts of said sections are positioned in a common plane, being foldahle inwardly to lie in parallel relation to said front section upon one side thereof, a panel and means for detachably interlocking said panel with the rear edges of said side sections whereby the foldable structure is sustained against collapse and said panel supported in aperpendicular position at the rear side thereof.

8. A collapsible display. device compris= ing hingedly connected front and side sections,- each consisting of a plurality of hingedly connected parts movable from a position in a common plane to positions in angular relation to each other whereby said device, when set up in display position, forms a semi-parallelogrammatic terraced structure, and said side sections, when the relatively movable parts of said sections are positioned in a common plane, being foldable inwardly to lie in parallel relation to said front section upon one side thereof, means for sustaining the device in set up position with the re atively movable parts of said side sections extending in directions at approximately right angles from the corresponding parts of said front section, a

panel adapted to be arranged at the rear side of said foldable structure and having a plurality of spaced vertical slots therein, and spaced parts of said side sections having lugs projecting from their rear edges for interlocking engagement in said slots whereby said panel is retained in a per- 10 pendicular position to sustain said foldable structure against collapse.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto. 

